Red Kwali Restaurant serves halal flavorful-tasty ethnic Food & Cuisine from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand in contemporary plating presentation, since the Day One it opened here in Milpitas in 2006, and has been faithfully serving the Muslim community in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley for 13 years and counting, in a beautiful, clean, Asian theme colorful and well-decorated setting, with soothing jazz music for enjoyable and comfortable dining. Visit soon, we look forward to having you dine with us. Added on July 28, 2006 and last updated 2 months ago

QUICK FACTS

(408) 262-2626

(408) 262-2627 fax

Full halal menu

Alcohol served

$$ out of $$$$

accepted

Available to-go

No prayer accomodations

Clean restrooms

Delivery available

Parking available

HOURS

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

CLOSE

11:00a

11:00a

11:00a

11:00a

11:00a

CLOSE

2:30p

2:30p

2:30p

2:30p

2:30p

HALAL SUMMARY

The menus at this restaurant clearly state that Halal food is served. From the management: 'Chicken, beef and lamb are all bought from Restaurant Depot, San Jose, California, with the Zabihah/Halal certifications. There is a lit halal neon sign above the front door, and the Menu states all dishes halal.'

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★★★ Average food, with no consistency. Service needs improvement. I was not impressed, overall. The thing that is very weird about this place is that they're closed on the weekends. Interesting concept. I do not recommend. Posted on June 24, 2013

★ We've been seated for over 15 minutes & didn't get served water or no one available to take our order, while the place was not that busy. Service was very poor & unprofessional today. The food came out wrong & cold.
The beef dish came with 5 pieces of beef hidden under mountain of vegetables, and the chili noodles came cold and inedible. I would think the food would come out warm while it arrived to the table.
We walked out of the establishment in disgust. This would be one establishment I wouldn't return to. Posted on February 15, 2012

★ I used to go to this place because it served Halal Thai food, even though the quality of the food is very low. Today, the manager was extremely rude to my wife and daughter. So I decided never to go there again. There are plenty of other Zabihah restaurants in Milpitas. Posted on September 18, 2011

★★★★ This is the 4th time I have been to this restaurant and there are some improvements since the last time. - Interior decore is pleasant (especially at dinner time) - food service was quick (appetizers cam within 7 min and before we could finish appetizers our dinner plates were on the table) - service by male server was nice (he made 2-3 trips just to make sure every thing is ok). We ordered - calamari (extra fried-decent), satay(good with sauce), black pepper noodles (added chilli to make them extra spicy good) and assam chilli chicken rice (so-so).... just one thing to be aware of... at lunch times during business days, this place is super busy (an extra waiter can help management) so if you do not have long lunch break then either make their early or find some other place and its a bit pricy... other than that its a good 4 star place Posted on January 8, 2010

★★★★ Excellent food!!! This is the best asian restaurant in the BayArea. We are a regular there. The food has always been exceptional. The staff is friendly and service is great. Posted on October 26, 2009

★ I'm all for supporting halal restaurants, but this place is horrible. The food quality and service is very poor and we will not be going here again. We were there during Ramadhan to open the fast and have dinner and this was easily the worst dining experience I've had in the Bay Area. We ordered mango chicken, black pepper beef, pad thai and assam chicken. The chicken smelled bad, it tasted liked rubber and the portions were small. The male host was rude and it is definitely NOT kid friendly. I've heard from friends the female hostess is better/friendlier. We paid $60 and ended up leaving early because the host kept hounding us. After "eating" here we went to a pizza place cause all of us were still starving. Brothers and sisters, there are a lot better options for food in the South Bay or Fremont...take a little time and do some research on Zabihah before you go. Posted on October 5, 2008

★★★★★ My husband and I loved this restaurant! I was a little worried after reading the negative review from 2 years ago, but I was pleasantly surprised. The service was excellent - very quick and the server spent time explaining the dishes. The food was excellent, we especially liked the Pad Thai and the Black Pepper Chicken. We are planning to go back so that we can sample other dishes! The decor is very nice. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone! Posted on July 21, 2008

★★★★ They do serve alcohol, and so does Darda, that is if Beer is considered alcohol. Check this for confirmation
www.redkwali. com/direction.htm
However, i found the food good and tasty. If they would stay away from serving alcohol in any of its forms, it would just be great. Posted on January 10, 2008

★ My mom and I were very excited when my dad told us about this halal malaysian restaurant. Unfortunately,we were disappointed. The service was extremely slow and there were not that many customers. I would hate to see how slow the service is on a packed day. In addition, my family ordered four dishes and they were all poor in taste/quality. The asam fried rice smelled of fish sauce from a mile away. The chicken som tha soup was bland. The asam beef and the red curry chicken was not that great. I would of rather gone to a non halal restaurant and ordered vegies and seafood then to of eaten here. Posted on November 25, 2007

★★★★★ My husband and I went there recently and enjoyed their food. I think we ordered the chili chicken and the garlic beef noodles. Both dishes were delicious and the restaurant itself is very nice. Posted on October 25, 2007

★★★★★ I am upset, why are you so evil "HalalMan786" and WHAT is really your problem? Look at what you've done! Red Kwali IS HALAL, they have their certificate in the window alongside their menu (near the entrance).
Zabihah staff: Please remove Red Kwali from the inactive list b/c this is incorrect. First of all, their meat is halal and they do have a current halal certificate. Secondly, the restaurant schedule has changed (for the better) Currently, RK's open Mon-Sat (until 10:30p) closed on Sundays. From what Aslina, the owner explained, they were to close their Red Kwali location in Newark, NOT Santa Clara! So please re-add them back in, b/c they're still open and halal.
This is the best halal Malaysian restaurant I have ever been to. The decor is GORGEOUS and the restaurant is kept very clean. NO ALCOHOL is served here, the staff is kind and friendly (all the time, not half of the time), the dishes are exotic and flavorful, yum yum. If you dislike spicy food, don't like rice or have an allergy to fish/nuts, this may not be place for you (some dishes have the nam pla, aka fish sauce or peanuts/cashews which are standards in Thai/Malaysian cuisine) without those ingredients, it would not be authentic. I'm not sure why others are complaining about the food being cooked too fast, you must understand that Thai/Malaysian cooking is different. It is standard to use huge broad pans called woks, believe me these woks are hot. RK's chefs cook the dishes in the back in an open kitchen, just look to the back and you will notice FLAMES under the woks. Many dishes are stir fried in these hot woks, so cooking times are shorter compared to baked/stewed dishes. I recommend ALL noodle dishes, especially the molasses colored one (filled with calamari, prawns, scallops and greens) Sorry, I don't know the actual names... Try ALL rice dishes very fragrant and tasty, my favorite is the coconut rice. The calamari, roti and satays (appetizers) are excellent. The soups are delicious. The fish (the one that's seasoned and steamed whole) is juicy, just wonderful try it!
Aslina, Yassin & staff, my family and I appreciate your hard word, kindness, smiles, authenticity and delicious flavors you bring forth. There are a lot of Muslims out here who want to taste different cuisines other than the usual East Indian/Chinese all the time and without having to drive to SF, Oakland or Berkeley just to taste it. I wish the Newark location was still open (for us San Leandro and Hayward customers). I'm glad your bringing back the ABC (shaved sweet ice/red bean desert enough for two people). Please bring back the barbeque chicken and add tamarind fish to the menu.
May Allah continue to guide us all---LJ Posted on August 7, 2007

★★★★ Don't understand why this is under "inactive" since the owners do their best to assure you it is halal and show you proof, even though we didn't ask for it, but with these hard-headed online reviewers... I can understand why. Great place, probably the best place I've been to in California in terms of their decor and atmosphere. It is so very romantic and beautiful... take your wives here for dates. Posted on August 6, 2007

★★★★ My wife and I enjoyed this fare at this restaurant. Mango chicken and Black pepper beef noodle where both excellent. The value for money was pleasantly suprising: for about $20 we had so much food that we had to take some home. We asked the waitress if it was halal and she said yes without hesitating. Posted on April 8, 2007

★★★ We have been to Red Kwali many times to try all the local Malaysian dishes but was not impress with the first few visit because of slow service and the food quality. We continue to give our support and visit them for dinner on weekend. Recently, the service has improve and but the food recommendation was a spot on. Not everything in the menu was good so make sure you ask the waiteress for recommendations. We love the mammak mee goreng and ask for very spicy. The rice is sometimes ok and the laksa was better than the restaurant elsewhere. We would come again but we hope they change the music to something that fit the name of the restaurant (Malay or Indonesia songs). The service could have been better (yes, improving) and we hope the Manager or owner should come and talk to the customers to ask for personal feedback. Posted on December 31, 2006

★★★★★ I would rate the food above-average, but I've only been there for lunch. There was a long line of people waiting to get in. The only complaint (if that) was that the staff was in no hurry to get you the bill; there was absolutely no pressure to get people out, in spite of the long line. Also, I have to strongly commend their honesty; I made a mistake in adding up my base bill amount and tip, and my total was significantly more than I intended. They charged me the correct amount, and not my incorrect total. Posted on December 11, 2006

★ Sorry to say, but my family and I didn't exactly find what we were expecting... the food doesn't taste authentic or good... the waitresses DID dress tightly, and couldn't even pronounce the name of the dishes.For the sauce with the satay, they gave us about two tablespoons of it. The music is a little loud too... I liked the decor though.:)The food did arrive quickly also. Posted on November 25, 2006

★★★★ This place is pretty good. Was presently surprised. The interior decor is very nice. The staff and management are friendly and helpful. The food is excellent. Went there with a group of about 8 people. We tried several dishes (family style). Recommend the Mango Chicken, Black Pepper Shrimp, Black pepper beef and the steak. Try the satay and roti for appetizers and also the coffee is good (very sweet, like a dessert itself). The background music is a little outdated and kinda out of place. I would recommend the owners change to something more laid back and maybe some light Indoensian/Malaysian or Indian music (instrumental) instead to compliment the type of food they serve. Otherwise this place is very good...check it out! Posted on October 6, 2006

★★★★★ WARNING: DON'T LISTEN TO halalman786
We read all comments about Red Kwali before going, and were unsure what to expect. It was a wonderful experience, all around. My husband and I asked many questions about menu items before ordering, and our server was able to answer every question and recommend dishes based on our food preferences. All servers were extremely patient, helpful, and friendly. We even asked to see the halal certificate, and the server had it back to our table in less than 5 seconds. I saw it with my own eyes.
As for the food, it was also excellent. It was at least comparable to Banana Leaf, and some aspects were better (such as the iced coffee). The food arrived very quickly (again, excellent service). I found that the music playing was really only audible in the bathrooms, unlike what i expected from halalman's complaint. The decor was beyond tasteful--quite beautiful and serene, reflecting a rich tea culture of china and the eastern areas of asia.
Overall, a wonderful experience.
My husband's comments:
I just wish to add a few words of rebuttal to halalman's review. (1) Ascertaining whether the food is halal or not does not require knowledge of the supplier. And yes, the owner's reluctance to disclose such information to a stranger over the phone makes perfect sense. First off, you should have been able to trust the word of a fellow muslim that he/she is selling you halal food. And if you cannot do that then the certificate is available for viewing at the restaurant. Dont casually label a restaurant haram because you didn't like the experience at a personal level. As for your quoting the Imam's opinions, the only reason why anyone else should believe that you gave an honest account to the Imams and that you conveyed their response without exaggeration is muslim-trust: the same reason why you should have believed the owner in the first place. Nevertheless, the whole point is moot because the certificate negates the Imams' ruling, but what is sad is your hasty and rude treatment of an honest fellow muslim. (2) Having calligraphy on display is not a certificate of anything, there are plenty of muslim-owned persian restaurants with calligraphy that do not serve halal. (3) The waitresses (or for the matter even the chef) at a restaurant do not have to be muslims for the food to be halal. And since "skimpy" is a very vague description, I want to point out that the waitress' outfits were not skimpy even by conservative western standards, the only parts showing were their hair, shoulders and arms. If you simply can,t stand that, then yes dont go to such restaurants, or for the matter don't go to 99% of the public places/businesses in this country. (4) You talk about husn-dhun, but your actions and thoughts are actually the exact contrary. You had already set up a negative opinion about the place even before the phone call. (5) NO ... MY WIFE AND I ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH THIS RESTAURANT IN ANY WAY ... it is simply the duty of one muslim to defend another muslim when unjustly attacked. Posted on September 16, 2006

NR As the owners of Red Kwali Restaurant, we are deeply saddened by the irresponsible accusations made by @halalman786 on our restaurant. We must take this opportunity to defend ourselves and warn you that false accusations will lead to possible legal ramifications. Your intention is suspicious.
As fellow Muslim from Malaysia, we take pride to provide a comfortable and contemporary restaurant serving Singapore, Malaysian and Thai cuisines with a full Halal menu, to serve both the Muslim community and other customers. MCA (Muslim Community Association) of Santa Clara has been most helpful, encouraging and supportive. They encouraged and advised us to let the Muslim community know about the availability of our Halal menu through advertising on the MCA Newletter. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to MCA because of your false accusation.
Your accusation that our restaurant is highly Un-Halal and that we are not Muslim and labeling us as HARAM is defamatory. While you are entitled to your personal opinion as to what a Halal restaurant or Muslim person should be, there is no reason to accuse us of not being one, just because we are different from what you expect. Remember, we are in America and Muslims come from all over the world and in various forms as well, but we have the common faith.
Who are you to define what a Muslim restaurant is. Our restaurant may not consist of all the elements required by you for a typical Muslim restaurant, but our food is Halal. Our vendors are Halal certified. You should ask for a copy of the certification when you ate here, as some of our customers have requested. It is not appropriate for you to call us on the phone to demand who our vendor is. We do not reveal such information over the phone for competitive reasons, not because we have anything to hide. But you concluded that our food is not Halal, and misled the Imams to support your accusation.
Alhamdulillah, in the past few weeks since we opened, we were very encouraged by many of the fellow Muslim customers, all warm and gentle people, whom we gladly served. They have shown so much appreciation of our food and are extremely encouraging and supportive. We will continue to try our best to serve the Muslim community. You do not have to enjoy our restaurant, but do not cast doubts for other customers by your false accusations. Don't spoil it for other people to enjoy these cuisines. Assalamuailaikum.
We demand a public apology from you if you are a true Muslim as you claimed to be. Posted on September 15, 2006

★ WARNING - HIGHLY UN-HALAL.
I ate at this place about a month ago with my wife. We walked in and they had some bump-and-grind R&B music playing. This was the first red flag. The second red flag was the waitress. Her revealing outfit matched the R&B music playing in the background. Hmmm, i thought. Anyhow, I sat down and browsed the menu and looked around the restaurant. No Bismillah, no "halal" sign, not even any Arabic Calligraphy. By this time I should have dipped out, but i stayed (mainly since i was REALLY hungry) I thought to myself that I should talk to the owner. Some lady came by and asked if we heard about the place from MCA or SBIA. I asked her if she was the owner (I was not sure she was Muslim since she did not say "salaam" and was not wearing Hijab). I asked her if she was the owner and all she said was that she takes care of the headaches, and walked off. Hmmm i thought. We stayed and ate because I wanted to apply "husn thun" (good opinion) without quickly labeling this restaurant as HARAM. Later that week I called the restaurant and asked for the owner. A male answered the phone. I asked "Is your meat Halal?". He answered "We have a full halal menu." I then asked "Who is your supplier?." The man started to stutter. He then said that he COULD NOT reveal that information! When I asked "Why" he said that his supplier is exclusive and that if he told me then the price of the meat would go up! I was like "Say What!?" This made no sense. Then he goes on to say that HIS WIFE is Muslim, and that they even have an ad in MCA for the restaurant (as if this was the halal stamp). I asked him "so you are not Muslim?" He said, "yes, I am convert but still new." Hmmm I thought. "So you cannot tell me where you get your meat from?" He says "no."
I spoke to Imam Tahir and Imam Suhaib Webb about this and BOTH said the authenticity of this place being halal is HIGHLY DOUBTFUL until their supplier is verified. Posted on September 5, 2006

★★★★★ This is a great place to eat out. Owners are very comforting and generous.My wife and I go there almost every weekend.Food is great!The best thing of all is that there is no alcohol on premise unlike some "halal" resturants.Muslim community should support this establishment. Posted on September 3, 2006

★★★★★ Excellent food, friendly setting and good service. We had the satay, pepper chicken, Yam Tam soup and Beef steak which were all very good. The steak maybe a little rare for some so let them know when you order.. Posted on August 21, 2006

★★★★★ This place is great! We have eaten there twice now and both times were happy with our meals. We have had the chicken satay, roti canai, and two chicken dishes also. Prices are decent and food is great. I really love the decorations. Posted on August 16, 2006

★★★★★ finally! a halal malaysian/singaporean restaurant! ! yes, kudos to the muslim owner. just visited the restaurant on aug 7 and my family were very satisfied with the quality of the food as it was very good and dare I say that it was better than layang-layang or banana leaf although we could only eat the seafood/vege dishes at those other establishments. please do visit this restaurant. i guarantee you won't be disappointed! only with our support can these quality HALAL restaurants survive. Posted on August 8, 2006